039. Fear
"So, it has come to this in the end."
Grand Duke Gayrad was receiving a report on the outcome of this war.
The Grand Duke, who had been slowly looking over the documents, chuckled and spoke.
"This is to the point where I don't even need to go out myself."
Elise Blaze.
She was bringing change to the North.
She killed three of the Seven Wild Monsters.
Furthermore, she smashed the forward base the northern barbarians had set up.
Now, only three forward bases remain.
"Moreover, the northern Seven Wild Monsters are now down to four members.... Huh. What a sorry sight. Seven Wild Monsters."
Grand Duke Gayrad, who generously mocked the enemy.
He flicked the report with his finger and said.
"I'll finish off the rest in coordination with the Seven Wolves."
His gaze turns toward the scenery outside.
"...It won't be long now."
"...Hmm."
Elise looked at Derac's head mounted on the pole, then looked back at the book she was holding.
This book was none other than the volume that had been found in Derac's possession.
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be a diary.
Fortunately, it was written in the Imperial language, so Elise could read it.
"Lost his family to the Empire's warriors.... Went mad with vengeance and killed countless Imperial warriors."
The book's contents were simple.
Vengeance. And more vengeance.
It was filled with numerous tales of vengeance.
It was written that among those killed by Derac were not only northern warriors but also those called the Seven Wolves.
Probably, as she heard from Kalix, it was Derac who killed the previous generation of the Seven Wolves.
Elise, who had been quietly looking at the book, placed it down in front of Derac's head.
"The grudges and favors of the martial world are ultimately carried out according to each person's will, aren't they? In a situation where vengeance begets more vengeance, one must ultimately establish and carry through their own will, no?"
Righteousness and chivalry.
Elise pondered the meaning of that word, looked at the book for a moment, then rubbed her fingers together.
Whoosh—!
The book slowly caught fire from the Samadhi Fire and began to burn away.
Watching that sight, Elise spoke softly.
"Ultimately, if you lived according to your will, then isn't that enough? That's what I think."
Elise said quietly.
Amitabha Buddha.
"I don't know if you have reached peace.... But I think it's fine to reach peace. Just shake it all off and go meet your family."
With those final words, Elise turned around.
"I never got to meet them. The connections from my past life. Live peacefully there."
Her head turned to look back for a moment.
"It's just a little something to say between people with stories."
The sparks and smoke from the book rose into the sky.
Returning to her room, Elise quietly meditated and observed herself.
'Essence, energy, and spirit.... My spirit is the greatest under heaven. But my body and energy have not reached the pinnacle.'
Her spirit roams the heavens, but her body and energy remain as they are.
It was also because of this reason that Elise's rank, more precisely the stage of the peak, had stopped at the initial entry point.
Enlightenment. A new enlightenment was needed.
'Let me calmly sort it out. The Seven Wild Monsters I met this time.'
Glowing Sword Jeffrey.
Twin Thunder Axe Nagagor.
Seven Wolves Slayer Derac.
Elise, who had fought these formidable individuals one by one, began calmly reviewing her fights with them.
Jeffrey's lightning-fast speed.
Nagagor's fluid axe techniques.
Derac's swordsmanship.
In Elise's mind, their swordsmanship, along with her own movements as she fought against them, flashed by.
'What should I do. How should I....'
What Elise sought at times like this was simple.
It was the plum blossom. The plum blossom.
From the birth of a single life, through its full bloom, to its death—within that series of processes.
Elise gently moved her eyes.
Within the movement of the plum blossom.
And furthermore, within the movement of life, Elise slowly began to find the answer.
And then.
"...Ah."
She quietly found the next path.
"So. Young lady.... You've caught up to the 5th rank, right up to the very edge, you say?"
"Yes."
Sir Kalix clicked his tongue.
No matter how much experience had piled up over half a year....
'Can one rise this high at such a young age?'
Incomprehensible.
No matter how much he thought about it, Elise's growth speed was impossible to understand.
It was like, what should he say.
Like a bird trying to reach the sun only to get burned.
To Kalix, Elise looked like that.
Shake shake—.
Kalix shook his head.
Too many distracting thoughts had come up.
Admiration. Envy. Frustration....
Various emotions surged, and he quickly shook his head to clear them.
Because feeling such emotions toward the woman before him was, in many ways, something to be sorry for.
As Kalix and Elise conversed and walked.
Before they knew it, the two had arrived in front of the conference room.
Creak—.
As soon as they entered the conference hall, the Seven Wolves and other northern warriors were seated.
Elise and Kalix bowed their heads slightly and naturally took their seats.
Soon, the meeting began with Grand Duke Gayrad entering the conference room.
And right from the start, Grand Duke Gayrad smiled faintly, reflecting on the outcome of the last war, and said.
"The last battle was truly splendid. This, I feel it's to the point where I don't even need to go out myself."
Hoho—.
Grand Duke Gayrad laughed like that.
His expression was quite bright.
"However, even so, a northern warrior cannot stay out of it. I won't fight recklessly on the front lines, but I will fight steadfastly."
As Grand Duke Gayrad's head nodded, his gaze turned to Elise.
"Young lady Elise. Truly, thank you. As many as three of the Seven Wild Monsters met their end by your hand."
"You flatter me."
"No. Not at all. How great this achievement is.... Hoho...."
Grand Duke Gayrad muttered as if reminiscing about old times.
"The war between the northern warriors and the barbarians has continued countless times since the Empire was founded. War. War. War. The war between the two forces broke out without rest. And in recent years, when the barbarian unification occurred and those called the Seven Wild Monsters appeared...."
Hoo—.
Grand Duke Gayrad sighed and spoke.
"To be honest. I didn't think we would win easily. It became difficult. Considerably so. That's what I judged at the time."
The Blue Fang Tribe that appeared after the barbarian unification and the Seven Wild Monsters leading them.
The title of seven barbarian monsters wasn't given for no reason.
They were, each and every one, earth-shattering monsters.
However. Now it's different.
"But for three of them to die. And by the hand of a single person.... Huh. Hohoho."
Grand Duke Gayrad subtly stood up and approached Elise.
And then he respectfully extended his hand.
"Hohoho. Young lady Elise. In my heart, I'd even like to bow my head. Unfortunately, I am, in my own way, a member of the Imperial family. I'm sorry, but please at least accept a handshake."
"...I understand. Thank you."
A handshake from the Grand Duke, a descendant of a Grand Ducal house with Imperial blood, and moreover, the Grand Duke responsible for the Empire's North.
Elise carefully clasped his hand.
"Is there anything you desire? No, let me decide. How about.... Ah, of course, that would be it."
Grand Duke Gayrad nodded as if he knew everything.
Hmm. Judging by that, it seems he intends to procure some spirit medicine imbued with Yang energy to counter Elise's damnable Heaven's Mandate Great Yin Severed Meridians.
Elise also nodded.
If it's something like that. It's always welcome.
"Now, then let's examine the remaining forward bases. Three left."
After the conversation between the two ended, the meeting continued.
"...."
Silence.
A long silence continued.
This is the main camp of the Blue Fang Tribe.
The Seven Wild Monsters, now become the Four Night Monsters.
Only four members of the Seven Wild Monsters remain.
To put their atmosphere briefly, it was the worst.
The moment the silence continued for a long while.
Hoo—.
Someone broke the silence and opened their mouth.
"No matter how much I think about it, this isn't right. The proud stars of the Blue Fang Tribe, remaining silent like this."
Ragna.
The moment Ragna, Derac's disciple who had been meddling with the Five Darknesses for a while, opened his mouth.
"...Shut your trap. Ragna."
Decapitation Sword Linetta.
She looked at Ragna and scowled.
"You know what that crazy bitch is doing too."
"...But."
"That bitch killed your master. Ragna."
"...."
"Tch. This isn't the time to be cowering like frightened beast cubs."
However, Linetta also knew this situation was wrong.
To look like idiots, trembling in fear.
This was not the behavior befitting the Blue Fang Tribe that had unified the barbarians.
"Ahh. I agree. Linetta."
"...Bachra. Still acting relaxed even at this moment?"
The Manly Man Bachra, stretched out almost lying on his leather chair.
He revealed his distinct facial features and chuckled.
"I'm relaxed because I know the path we must take. The path we must ultimately take.... Isn't it to fight that one? Linetta."
"...That's right."
"Then fighting is the right thing to do."
As Bachra said, the warriors in this place knew what they had to do going forward.
They must fight.
They must face that mad sword demon entrenched in the Empire's North.
"...Huh. To think I'd be afraid."
The moment Linetta felt complex emotions realizing she was hesitating without even knowing it.
"...."
Ragna.
Ragna, who had been in the middle of attacking the other four of the Five Darknesses, was quietly waiting for his chance.
Somehow. Somehow, he must kill the darkness and take their blood.
"A campaign, is it."
Now, with more than half of the year having passed and winter gradually approaching.
Elise and the other northern warriors moved to attack the remaining forward bases.